


Homecoming

by Enchantable



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-17
Updated: 2013-08-17
Packaged: 2017-12-23 20:31:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/930808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enchantable/pseuds/Enchantable
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Herc Hansen is notorious for breaking his cell phones</p>
            </blockquote>





	Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Chuck made it out because Stacker basically shoved him out the escape pod. It takes awhile to get home. He's a different person when he finally gets there.

The call comes at five in the morning.

Herc has just gotten off a five hour shift and is pretty much dead to the world. Handsome slobbering wakes him up and he gropes for the phone, not bothering with the lights. If it was an emergency someone else would handle it or Becket would be pounding at his door.

"Hansen," he grunts. 

"Hercules Hansen?" 

"That’s what I said," he growls, “it’s five in the morning, what the hell do you want?"

"Mr. Hansen I don’t quite know how to say this—"

"With your words."

"Sir, we found your son." 

For the first time in twenty years he drops the phone.

Twenty minutes later he’s on a flight to some hospital, torn between getting his hopes up and plotting wonderful ways to murder the doctor. They’ve explained that there is no mistake. He’s been in a costal hospital for two months, his condition deteriorating until the doctors bring him somewhere more urban. Somewhere where someone finally recognizes him as Striker Eureka’s pilot. 

Sensors malfunction. Nuclear bombs give off emps. It’s entirely possible the pod discharged and they didn’t read it. When he finally gets there he storms in, not trusting his voice. A woman almost makes him fill out forms but then thinks better of it and leads him back to a private room. She opens the door and waits outside. There’s a fucking curtain up and Herc wants to murder someone, to take on a Kaiju with his bare hands before he pulls back the curtain. 

Except Handsome’s broken free already. 

And he’s on the other side of the curtain barking in a way Herc knows he only barks for one person. 

When he rips the curtain back it takes everything in him not to be sick. Because against reason, against hope, against what he knows to be true, Chuck is laying on the other side of the blue fabric. He’s barely recognizable for so many reasons but it’s him. Everything in Herc seems to crumble at the sight and before he knows it he’s on the floor next to his son’s bed, hot tears pouring down his cheeks. 

They give him a minute before the doctor comes in and explains what the hell is going on. 

His son was caught on the tail end of the blast. His pod was discharged, twisted and burning. His right arm is gone. His left leg may not be able to support his weight. There are other damages, revealed by the tubes that go in and out of him. But he’s alive. He’s alive and with every pulse of his heart he is getting closer to waking up. Herc punches the doctor and makes a call and two hours later the medical chopper is transporting Chuck to the shatterdome. 

Handsome doesn’t leave Chuck’s side. 

Herc only does it when he has to. And when he does Raleigh or Mako take over his watch. They are the last four pilots. They do not leave each other alone. Herc knows Chuck has a long road ahead of him, they all know he does. But the pilots won’t let him walk it alone. it’s Raleigh whose with him when he finally wakes, against all the odds. Six months after the final battle. His eyes snap open and Raleigh is on his feet in a second, slamming his hand on the call button for the doctor. 

"Hey, you’re okay, you’re okay," he says, fumbling over the words, “you’re home. You’re safe."

Chuck looks at him uncomprehendingly and Raleigh does the only thing he can think of and pulls Handsome up so the pilot can see him. His eyes lock on the dog and Raleigh wonders how the damn thing can be so heavy. 

"See?" he says, “you’re home."


End file.
